Kingfisher asked to stop ticket sales - source

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The aviation regulator has asked Kingfisher Airlines Ltd, which faces a possible shutdown by the government after an extended grounding of its fleet, to stop selling tickets until its concerns are resolved, a government source said.

"Earlier they (Kingfisher) said they will start from the 4th, now they are saying 12th. We told them today to get issues sorted out first and then sell tickets," the source said on Tuesday.

Debt-strapped Kingfisher stopped flights on October 1 after a weekend protest by staff turned violent and has extended what it described as a partial lock-out to October 12.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation told the airline last week to demonstrate why its permit to fly should not be suspended or cancelled, saying the airline had failed to establish a "safe, efficient and reliable service".